The Fixer
by Mako1
Summary: Star Girl spends the week with the Teen Titans and is shown around San Francisco by Kid Flash.


The Fixer.

_A/N: Based entirely on a lovely day trip I just took into San Francisco. My guide George has forgotten more about San Francisco than I'll ever know. DcnU…what DcnU?_

"Where are Courtney and Bart?" Cassie asked, having searched all over the tower for her wayward teammates.

"They went out for lunch," Tim snorted. Cassie groaned.

"Please he keeps his hands to himself. We'll have the entire JSA on our asses if he doesn't," she muttered.

"I think we're safe on that front. They just went into the City."

"On a Monday…that was brave," Cassie commented.

In the North Beach area of San Francisco, Bart had Courtney follow him as they walked along a main thoroughfare. "Jesse told me a dirty little secret about you," he teased. Courtney Whitmore froze.

"She what?" she stammered.

"You'll see," Bart winked as they turned the corner. Courtney was about to demand what he meant when she stopped again, this time in awe of the cathedral across the small park from where they stood. "St Peter and Paul," Bart stated. "Wanna sit outside or inside?" he added when they came up to a small café.

"Outside is fine," Courtney replied, as he held a seat for her at one of the outdoor tables. "Thanks."

"Someone will be out in a sec to take our orders," he told her. Courtney was still gazing at the beautiful cathedral. "During the twenties and thirties, it was attacked several times by anarchists," he told her, indicating the cathedral.

"What?" she gaped.

"They tried to blow it up five separate times."

Courtney gaped again as their waiter came out to hand them menus. "Oh thank you," she said as she accepted hers. "Any recommendations?" she asked Bart.

He laughed. "All of it. But the lasagne and cannelloni are particularly good."

"Get one of each and share them?" she suggested. "Mario's Bohemian Cigar Shop?" she muttered as she read the name on the menu. Bart laughed.

"That's what this place was when it first opened in the twenties. It's a café now…well it was back then too," he explained. "And sharing's fine with me. Oh you'll want to get the lemon Italian soda too. It's fantastic!"

"I was going to order a coffee…" she started before he interrupted her.

"That's our next stop," Bart grinned.

"Okay…Italian soda it is then," Courtney chuckled. The waiter came out just then and took their orders. He returned a moment later with their sodas and a basket of bread.

"Everything and I mean everything here, is made from scratch daily," he said as Courtney took a sip of her soda. She groaned in pleasure as she took a second longer sip.

"You weren't kidding…that's amazing!" she said when she set her glass down.

They chatted for a while until their waiter returned with their lunch. Courtney raised an appreciative eyebrow when she realised what had taken the order twenty minutes to go through. They'd prepared it after it had been ordered and baked it. Bart scooped one of the cannelloni from her plate and set it on his and then did the same for her with half of his lasagne. She took a tentative bite and moaned in pleasure for a second time.

"This ranks up there with some of the best Italian I have ever eaten," she purred as she took another bite.

"Sadly this is better than some of the Italian I've had in Italy," he chuckled. She boggled at the statement. "The plus about this neighbourhood is how European it is," he added as they ate. "You aren't rushed to finish so they can turn the table over for the next customer."

"Yeah…I've noticed that," she murmured. She laughed when Bart finished off his lunch and tore half of the bread from the small loaf to use to mop up the sauce.

"Politely licking the plate clean," he teased, waggling his eyebrows at her.

"Good idea," she laughed as she followed suit.

Their waiter came out to check on them and gave Bart the cheque when he asked for it. Bart insisted that the day was his treat, while Courtney snorted and put her wallet away. "Coffee?" he suggested playfully, holding her chair for her.

"Sure." They walked a couple of blocks to a busy coffee shop and went inside. Bart glanced around and smirked. He suggested that Courtney grab a table he pointed out while he got their order. The barista teased them that he only had one cappuccino left, before Bart teased back. He obviously knew the barista well, Courtney noted. Bart set their cappuccinos on the table and went back to fetch dessert. A mini chocolate bunt cake that they split.

"So about that dirty little secret," he smirked. Courtney froze again and he continued. "Jesse tells me that you are a _Godfather_ fanatic." She heaved a sigh of relief while he laughed.

"Sad but true," she said, reaching into her purse and pulling out a small digital reader. "I'm reading it right now…for about the hundredth time," she chuckled.

"How would you react if I told you a little something about where you're sitting right now?" he smirked. Courtney cocked an eyebrow at him. "In 1969, Mario Puzo sat at this very table and wrote the book you currently have on your Kinder," he proudly proclaimed.

"Shut up!" Courtney gaped. "You're pulling my leg." She followed to where Bart was pointing and saw a photo on the wall of the author hard at work on her favourite book. He was indeed seated at the very table she was at now with Bart.

"Welcome to the Café Trieste," Bart grinned as she rummage through her purse to find her smart phone. "The guy in the photo with Puzo is the owner, who is still alive at ninety six." Courtney fiddled with her phone and handed it over to Bart.

"Picture. Now!" she demanded with a grin. He chuckled as he got up to take her picture at the table. Courtney had her reader up with the cover to the book on display and the biggest grin ever on her face. Bart handed her phone back to her so she could see the picture. She entered a few commands and it became the wallpaper on her screen.

"I'm not gonna lie," she said after a minute. "But I had visions of you guys in your Young Justice days when I was told that I'd be spending the week at the tower." Bart laughed aloud.

"I was an adult for a while," he reminded her. "We've mellowed a bit in our old age."

"Remind me to take Ted and Jay up on their offer of me joining you guys on a full time basis," she chuckled.

"We'd be glad to have you," he smiled sincerely. They finished their coffees and cake and Bart led her outside. She whipped the phone out again and had Bart take her picture under the café sign. Holding his arm for her, he led her back to the main thoroughfare and a small bakery. "Dessert for later tonight," he said when she asked what they were stopping for. "Ciao mi amore!" he greeted the older woman behind the counter. She reached over and playfully swatted him on the shoulder. Courtney looked at the display case and gawked when she saw two lonely little cream puffs on the bottom shelf. She decided to rescue them and had them rung up with the large cake Bart had ordered.

"I've got them," Bart said as he took the string tied boxes from Courtney.

"Thanks! So what are you going to impress me with next?" she grinned.

"Know anything about the Beat Generation?"

"Where's City Lights Bookstore?" Courtney grinned, and Bart held his arm out for her again. They walked a few blocks down Stockton Street when Courtney spied a restaurant with an unusual name. "The Stinking Rose?" she laughed.

"A literal translation from the Arabic word for garlic," he replied. "And some damn fine food too. Their motto is that they flavour their garlic with food."

"I like garlic," she suggested and Bart offered to take her there later in the week.

"We'll all go," he said and she agreed. "They're open, so let me go and make a reservation real quick," he added and she followed him inside.

The reservation made, they walked a bit more before coming to the book store. "My Mom's gonna die," she enthused as she had Bart take her picture outside of the bookstore. "Let's go and be nosy," she suggested and he laughed, holding the door for her. Courtney perused the shelves looking for a book her mother might enjoy when Bart came up behind her and held out a copy of _Pictures__of__the__Gone__World,_ by one of the original creators of the bookstore.

"Ferlinghetti is in the back and will probably sign it for you," he said. Courtney followed him to where Bart had last seen the author and she politely asked if he'd sign the book for her mother.

"Thank you so much," she offered when the author handed the book back to her. He led them to the register so Courtney could pay for her book and they thanked the author again before leaving. "Wait that's…" she stated upon spying the lounge next door.

"Vesuvio, yep," Bart replied.

"They don't let under twenty ones in, do they?" she asked. Bart glanced at his watch and suggested that they go in and order a soda. "Seriously?"

"We've been in there before during daylight hours," he told her. Courtney shot him a disbelieving look as he held the door for her. "Hey Ro!" he greeted the waitress. "This is my friend Courtney," he added, introducing the two.

"He's doing the fixer tour for you isn't he?" Ro teased as she led them upstairs.

"Oh yeah," Courtney replied. "Oh cool table!" she added when she saw where Ro was seating them. They were at one of the windows looking out to the main street and could people watch as they drank their sodas.

"Your Mom was a Beatnik?" he asked and Courtney nodded.

"Her way of rebelling in the Midwest. Its how I know so much about the Beat Generation."

"Oh that's cool," Bart grinned. "I took my grandma on the same tour and she still goes on about it."

"Iris Allen was down with the Beat Generation," Courtney laughed. "Now that I'd believe!"

"She still is," he chuckled. He glanced at his watch and grimaced. "We should probably start making our way back. Cassie will have dinner going by now."

"We have a week," Courtney reminded him as they got up and headed back downstairs. Bart led them a block over to where the buses were running and they got on one that was heading for the wharf. As they made their way to an out of the way area Bart could zip away from, his phone rang.

"We're heading home now Cass," he laughed as he answered it. "This'll work," he added after hanging up. Courtney took the bakery boxes from him and he scooped her up in his arms. The next thing Courtney Whitmore knew, she was on Titans Island.

"So how was it?" Cassie asked as they entered the kitchen. "Stella's?" she asked when Bart placed the bakery boxes on the counter. He nodded.

"It was great!" Courtney beamed. She told Cassie about everything Bart had shown her. Cassie laughed.

"You and Tim can go take over that table at Café Trieste," she joked. "He's a _Godfather_ nut too."

"Oh hey!" Bart said snapping his fingers. "I made a reservation for all of us at The Stinking Rose for six on Wednesday. Courtney looked intrigued."

"Mmm garlic flavoured bunny rabbit," Conner purred as he wandered into the kitchen.

"They serve rabbit?" Courtney laughed.

"You'll be stunned when you see all what they serve," Conner chuckled. "I'm assuming from the boxes that you guys were in Little Italy?" he added.

"It was so much fun."

"Wanna hit Chinatown tomorrow? I'm cooking dinner and need a few ingredients," Conner suggested.

"Sold!" Courtney grinned.

Courtney helped Cassie serve dinner a little while later. Bart got up to go get the cake he'd ordered earlier that day and everyone groaned as they dug into their pieces. Tim and Conner shooed Courtney away when she went to clear the table. Bart took her hand and led her to the roof of the tower. From there, they could see the fog rolling in over the hills and slowly smothering the city.

"I have to ask," she said as she leaned on his shoulder. "How do you know so much about San Francisco?" Bart chuckled as he told her about the time he read the entire contents of the public library. "There was some neat stuff in there that I wanted to check for myself and I just picked it up."

"So anyone on the Titans could probably get a job as a tour fixer here?" she asked.

"Tim knows the Mission and Market areas pretty well. Conner has Chinatown and Japantown down pat. Cassie knows North Beach only slightly less better than I do. But I'm the only one who can do the whole city. History and all," he replied.

"Remind me to take you up on that," she teased. Bart didn't need reminding as he did take Courtney all over the city during her week tenure with the Teen Titans.

FIN


End file.
